The Pentagon’s First Christmas, 1942

On December 24, 1942: The Pentagon held a Christmas event to bolster the troops and Pentagon employees. This image is of the speakers’ platform festooned with Christmas decorations in the center courtyard of the Pentagon. The A band is playing below as the speakers look on from the balcony. The Library of Congress labels it as the US Army Signal Corps.

Ground for the new pentagon building was broken on September 11, 1941. The Pentagon’s first employees moved in on April 30, 1942. The building officially opened on January 14, 1943. So the picture here is of the first Christmas event at the Pentagon.

In December 1942, the US was deep in World War II and suffered some serious setbacks earlier in the year. By Christmas, though, US troops were beginning to have some successes and were in North Africa and had taken Guadalcanal. There was reason to hope…